Maya Angelou says, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” Then there’s wisdom from Murphy’s Law, which many people refer to but I’m not sure they really know the full version of.
Thoughts on life’s inevitable changes applies to all of us, because we are all going through changes. I hope this month’s ideas on dealing with change help you with whatever changes you are going through.
Let’s agree that we already know accomplishing anything worthwhile in life takes effort. Yet so many times we want to deny this truth and ignore Murphy’s Law:
**Nothing is as easy as it looks;
**Everything takes longer than you expect;
**And if anything can go wrong, it will;
**At the worst possible moment.
One of the reasons Murphy’s Law stands the test of time is because it speaks to an annoying reality. Nothing seems to stay in one place long enough to pin it down. And it’s also true that the one thing in life you can absolutely count on is that circumstances will continually change. What is unknown is WHEN they will change.
This lack of knowing drives us crazy, right?
This leads to yet another conundrum. Making decisions assuming that everything is going to continue on as it is now is risky. We’re often caught off guard because circumstances have an “inconvenient” habit of changing with little warning. The wisdom to glean from knowing all this is to be flexible in your planning.
Relatives die, friends move away, buildings are torn down and replaced by new ones. Changes personally and professionally are happening all the time. Nothing lasts forever. If you’re not tuned in to this reality you have likely found yourself particularly vulnerable to the inevitable and inescapable bumps in the road. And life does get bumpy and wavy and all jumbled up. If you are not in sync with this reality, you’ll often find yourself overwhelmed and frustrated.
Even though you accept the reality that life is riddled with adversity, you can do more than just hope for the best. You can mentally prepare yourself for dealing with adversity. This is best done by extracting the lesson learned from life’s changes and use your newfound knowledge to be better prepared the next time around. The unplanned and perhaps unwanted experience is history, so let go of it. Instead, focus on the knowledge you’ve gained, because going forward that knowledge can prove to be super valuable.
When trouble comes, don’t be frightened by the negatives. Look for the positives and dig them out. They are such valuable nuggets.
Understanding that adversity that often comes with change is an integral part of life will make it far easier for you to get up, dust off, and get back to living and creating a wonderful life.
When changing circumstances disrupt your best-laid plans, I suggest you take a tip from Voltaire, who said, “Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.”
Here’s one of my favorite stories about happiness, the Dalai Lama, and skiing!
Do I Really Practice What I Preach?
When it comes to Z-Health and improving my health and wellness, ABSOLUTELY! I can’t believe it’s been over ten years since I first discovered, studied, and became a Z Health certified coach.
I’ve mentioned many times that my Z Health based neural warm-up is the first thing I do EACH and EVERY day, no matter what and no matter where I am in the world. Heck, I’ve my done my neural warm-ups in airplane galleys.
There are many many Z Health drills, all of them fantastic. Here are two of them I think you’ll find particularly useful.
1. It’s time to take a stand…… for greater stamina!
By ‘take a stand’ we literally mean stand. The great thing about that, is you can do it right where you are….. wherever you are!
2. If you limit how you use your eyes, you’ll limit your vision. How we use our eyes is a main contributor to how we see. So if you have eye strain or degrading vision, and let’s face it, we all do given how much time we spend using devices, this video is for you.
These Z Health drills are EASY to incorporate into your day, anywhere and any time. Give them a try!
Last Month’s Topic, Fasting, Created a Lot of Questions in My Inbox
I know I gave you a lot of information to “chew” on 🙂 Let me recap and keep it simple.
Fasting helps you lose weight, control insulin levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and protect your heart. It lowers diabetes risk. The newest fasting research indicates to maximize the benefits, focus on a time interval of fasting rather than switching between fasting days and non-fasting days.
Simply put, this means restricting eating to a short period of time (such as eight or 10 hours) does more to lower blood sugar levels, increase insulin sensitivity, and lower blood pressure in the long term than avoiding eating over a full day. Research shows that shortening eating time to just six to eight hours flips a metabolic switch. Flipping that switch to turn on ketone-burning metabolism leads to improved stress tolerance, longer lifespans, and a lower risk of cancer and diabetes.
For example, try eating from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Or push it to six hours and eat between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Want to lose weight? Reduce how many calories you consume. Adjust your food intake depending on how you feel and your goals.
Diets can be extreme. For many, restricting the eating window is a good, sensible way to not just lose weight, but to improve your overall health. If you have any doubts, always consult with your health care providers.
Are You Creating Unforgettable Experiences?
I am, and I hope you are too. Unforgettable experiences are something I’ve been thinking about the past few years. Why?
The older you get, the rarer it is to truly have a new, unforgettable experience. Do you find that most meals you have are forgettable? But I’ll bet there are a few you remember…….the unforgettable ones! Most airplanes I travel on are the same, but I’ve experienced some unforgettable in-flight experiences.
So when I get the chance to experience something new such as seeing a live performance (Queen Latifah in concert I’ll never forget) or taking that perhaps once in a lifetime safari journey to Botswana, I jump at it.
You probably won’t remember many of the things you’ll buy 5 years from now but……….
If you get the chance to go through an experience – a meal, a museum, even a week of opera performances with a friend even if opera is not your thing – those are the experiences you’ll never forget. It’s worth it. The choices we make with our time and money are ours to make and these days I’m opting for creating unforgettable experiences.
Updates
A huge thanks to everyone who sends me feedback about the monthly Joyinmovement newsletters. I always appreciate questions, too. The feedback and questions help shape my future newsletters as well as create next-step plans for Joyinmovement. So keep your feedback coming.
I’ve been very glad to hear readers are getting as much value out of reading them as I am writing them. As you know, I personally answer each and every email 🙂
Interested in traveling more for less? Here’s where to start. Make sure to check out my hotel reviews before you choose your hotel. And if you’re a coffee drinker, here’s where to find the best coffee in cities around the world.
Finally……..
This month has me thinking about fitness vs. wellness and what wellness really means. Many people think fitness and wellness are the same thing, but I disagree. It’s great to be fit. However, wellness means you function and move well. A lot of fit people neither function well nor move well. I train for movement function and you should too! If you have any questions about this, let me know.
It’s a huge topic and I’m here to guide and help you move and function at your best, so you age well and enjoy life!
Recently, I visited one of my favorite cities, Vancouver, British Columbia. The mountains have snow on them, the weather moodiness of this time of year presented many different climates in the course of a single day, and I expanded my restaurant repertoire adding a few eateries to my ever-growing list of favorites. Always….. always…… always…… walk for miles and kilometers each and every day.
Are you making changes that focus on your health, wellness, and fitness? What are you doing these days to keep your muscle mass from decreasing? Big plans (or small but meaningful plans) for 2020 travels? Drop me a line and tell me about it.
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You can also buy me a coffee if that’s more your thing. Thanks so very much!
Keep finding Joyinmovement wherever and however works for YOU.
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